It didn’t take long after the Buffalo Bills’ latest impressive win for quarterback Josh Allen to shift his focus from his four-touchdown first half to the upcoming challenge: traveling to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
Allen made sure to call Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson a “two-time NFL MVP” after the Bills’ 47-10 victory over Jacksonville on Monday night.
Whether he meant to or not, Allen’s comment is a reminder that he received “MVP!” cheers from the crowd during the game.
Despite all he has achieved in over six years leading Buffalo to four straight AFC East titles and five consecutive playoff appearances, Allen often finds himself behind other quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers when it comes to end-of-season awards, as both of them have also won two MVP titles since 2018.
In terms of awards, Allen isn’t even the most recognized quarterback from his draft class, where he was picked No. 7 by Buffalo and Jackson was taken 32nd by Baltimore.
If a lack of respect has driven Allen’s career since his early days at Reedley Junior College in California, the 28-year-old has made a strong statement by helping Buffalo achieve its first 3-0 start since 2020.
After starting the season by losing a fumble in the red zone during a 34-28 win over Arizona, Allen has guided Buffalo to score 12 touchdowns and five field goals on his next 23 drives that didn’t end with kneel-downs.
The Bills lead the NFL with 112 points, their highest total through three weeks since scoring 113 in that time frame back in 2011. Allen has thrown touchdown passes to six different players. The offense is performing well, despite concerns during the offseason about lacking a top receiving threat after Stefon Diggs was traded to Houston and Gabe Davis left in free agency.
Allen’s ability to make the most of what he has was clear as he helped Buffalo score five touchdowns in the first half against Jacksonville.
After running back James Cook scored the first touchdown with a 6-yard run, Allen took his time in the pocket before finding tight end Dalton Kincaid for a 6-yard catch in the end zone.
He also made perfectly placed passes, connecting with rookie Keon Coleman for a 24-yard touchdown and hitting Ty Johnson for a 16-yard touchdown in the left corner of the end zone.
